Apple accuses Qualcomm of patent infringement in countersuit

Apple has denied the claims that it violated Qualcomm's battery life patents and alleged that Qualcomm's patents were invalid, a common move in such cases. But on Wednesday, in a filing in U.S. District Court in San Diego, Apple revised its answer to Qualcomm's complaint with accusations of its own. Apple alleges it owns at least eight battery life patents that Qualcomm has violated.The Apple patents involve ensuring each part of a phone's processor draws only the minimum power needed, turning off parts of the processor when they are not needed and making sleep and wake functions work better.

This tech gathers anonymized data from iOS and macOS devices. Apple explains the process in its report Using local differential privacy techniques, Apple ensures that it can get the best data possible without invading the privacy of the users.

Apple today published a paper on its Machine Learning Journal which addressed the topic of differential privacy, and how it can be used to protect user privacy in a time when every business needs to gather increasing amounts of data. This method addressed the fundamental quandary Apple and companies like it face: how to improve user experience, which involves collecting data, without sacrificing privacy.

The company proposes the use of local differential privacy, instead of central — in other words, the individual user’s device uses noise to mix up any data before it’s received by a central server. According to the paper, when enough people sending in their data, the noise averages out and leaves usable information behind.

Qualcomm files new patent infringement complaints against Apple

<p>Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) said on Thursday it filed three new patent infringement complaints against Apple Inc (AAPL.O), saying there were 16 more of its patents that Apple was using in its iPhones.</p>The new complaints represent the latest development in a long-standing dispute and follows Apple's countersuit on Wednesday against Qualcomm, which alleged that Qualcomm's Snapdragon mobile phone chips infringed on Apple patents.

Some of the use cases for the algorithm include identifying new words, figuring out which emoji people are using the most, and finding out what websites put the most strain on Safari.

Differential privacy isn’t without its critics, however. According to Wired, studies suggest even users who opt into differential privacy are still not protected enough, and Apple is obfuscating just how much it mines from individual users.

You can read Apple’s full paper, with all the nitty-gritty details, here.

Spotify and Deezer urge EU to lean on Apple .
Streaming is single-handedly boosting music sales and Spotify doesn't want any one behemoth (see Apple) gaining a stranglehold over the booming market. It got its wish when the EU promised "legislative instruments" to help out the little guy, specifically smaller firms that fear bigger corporations could stifle them by imposing strict rules on their apps. Seven months later, there's no new laws in sight, so Spotify (along with its original ally Deezer) is knocking on the EU's door once more, reports the Financial Times.

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This tech gathers anonymized data from iOS and macOS devices. Apple explains the process in its report Using local differential privacy techniques, Apple ensures that it can get the best data possible without invading the privacy of the users.

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